Workshop to equip African universities with quality assurance tools held

A five-day workshop by the Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA) took place in Accra. It ran from May 26 to 30, 2025. The goal was to help African universities improve quality assurance in teaching, research, and management.

Thirty delegates attended from three African Centres of Excellence (ACEs). These included Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Nigeria and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Each university sent its Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Prof. Raymond B. Bako represented ABU, while Prof. Isaac Sammani Butswat represented NOUN.

Dr. Violet Makuku, GQAA's Director, facilitated the workshop. She focused on several key areas. These included benefits of quality assurance and key quality indicators. Other topics were environmental cleanliness and internal quality assurance systems.

The workshop also covered enhancing teaching and learning, research innovation, and resource mobilization. Delegates learned about grant proposal writing and adopting technologies like Artificial Intelligence. They received Certificates of Participation, while DVCs were awarded trophies.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr. Makuku emphasized strong quality management systems for African institutions. She noted that GQAA is a non-profit organization promoting quality across all sectors. “Our goal is to ensure consistent quality through knowledge sharing and capacity building,” she said.

Prof. Bako described the workshop as timely and essential for African universities. He highlighted challenges in balancing access, quality, and relevance amid limited resources.

“Funding remains a critical issue despite commendable service delivery,” he stated. To improve access and enhance quality, more resources are needed.

He suggested expanding partnerships and pursuing grants to achieve these goals. “Quality service inspires graduates to give back,” he added.

Prof. Bako stressed that sustaining excellence requires collective commitment from everyone involved in education.